A former Aberystwyth man who set up a Facebook group to fight loneliness and maintain links to the town, has died.

Geraint Rees, who set up ‘You Know You’re From Aberystwyth When...’ in 2011, died in March aged 77.

Son Gwyn said: “What began as a modest project, a way to reminisce and connect with old friends, grew over time to nearly 18,000 members.

“It became a vibrant online meeting place for people with ties to Aberystwyth, near and far.

“For many, it became a lifeline: through light-hearted banter and shared recollections, the group grew into a lively hub for Aberystwythians to reconnect, swap tales, share photos, and relive moments from the town’s past. It fostered a genuine sense of community, reminding people they were not alone.

“For my father, it was more than a Facebook group. It was his window to the world. Living with a disability and unable to easily get out, the group gave him purpose, connection, and joy in his later years.”

Born and raised in Aberystwyth, Graigwen, Geraint’s family home on Bridge Street, was a boarding house for university students run by his mother. Geraint and his siblings Jean, David, and Peter helped with meals and upkeep.

After Ardwyn, Geraint served in the Royal Navy as a Chief Electrical Mechanic and a diver, once receiving a Commander-in-Chief’s commendation for preventing a fire in a house.

He left the Navy in 1971, worked in the private sector, married Gwyn’s mother in Aberystwyth in 1974, moved to Waunarlwydd, then emigrated to Canada.

“After my parents separated, we returned briefly to Aberystwyth before moving to Australia in 1983 to join dad’s older brother, David.

“He had two more sons, Gareth and Siôn, and later remarried, though that relationship also ended.”

Though he had two more sons in Australia, Geraint longed for home and returned to Wales.

With his health failing, he was visited at home by nurses in recent years.

“On 20 February 2025, during a scheduled visit, dad was found in a state of distress.

“He was admitted to critical care at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil. Despite a valiant four-week fight, passed away on 19 March. My brother and I spent nearly three weeks by his side. His final words to me were ‘I love you’.”

He is survived by sons Gwyn, Siôn, and Gareth, grandchildren Charlotte, Thomas, William, Carys, and Caden, and siblings Jean, David and Peter.

“Though he is gone, his memory lives on—in the stories he told, the humour he shared, and in a Facebook community he built from a place of loneliness, pride, and love for Aberystwyth,” Gwyn added.

“A degenerative and debilitating condition left him largely chair bound and contributed significantly to his isolation.

“As his illness worsened, the Facebook group he created became his way of reconnecting with his past.

“It meant a great deal to him and it's clear it means a great deal to others, too.

“It's quite striking to think the page has more members than Aberystwyth has residents!”